Jokes about being short. Zingers about movies that flopped and a plethora of corporate sponsorships. And more short jokes.
Netflix’s “The Roast of Kevin Hart” on Sunday evening carried some pointed wisecracks, began and ended with star-power appearances by Tom Brady and the Rock, and even featured a burying of the hatchet in the long-running feud between Hart and the fellow comedian Katt Williams.
Here are some of the (publishable) highlights.
Tom Brady
Hart began the special by declaring his evening would outrank Brady’s, who was roasted on Netflix two years ago. As Hart spoke, Brady walked onto the stage.
“All right, this won’t take long, because, as you guys know, I’m a busy man,” Brady said before alluding to Hart cheating on his wife, Eniko Hart, in 2017. “But I do have a few words for you before I return to my affairs in Las Vegas. Oh, wait, I’m talking about affairs in Las Vegas. Was that off? Not supposed to talk about affairs in Vegas? I think I broke another rule.”
Brady also joked about the celebrities on the dais, asking who they were and how they got to California. “I thought they shut down Spirit Airlines,” he added.
Shane Gillis
Gillis, the night’s host, took aim at Hart’s acting and standards. “We’re all here to honor Kevin Hart, and what better way to do that than to take a paycheck and pretend that we’re having fun?” he said.
Jeff Ross
Ross, the veteran roastmaster who dressed in a red leather suit reminiscent of Eddie Murphy in “Delirious,” quipped about Hart’s father, who battled addiction throughout his life. “Your dad was a street hustler and addicted to crack cocaine,” Ross said. “So, I guess being dependent on the Rock runs in your family.”
Na’im Lynn
Lynn, the comedian and longtime Hart associate, used his time to draw a link between Brady and Hart. “The only thing you and Tom Brady have in common is you both love your career more than your wife,” he joked.
During her time, Handler referenced Hart’s 2013 D.U.I. arrest and a car accident several years later.
“Kevin had a D.U.I. in 2013 and a little dipsy-do on Mulholland Drive in 2019,” she said. “And then he has the nerve to call one of his movies ‘Ride Along.’ Even Tiger Woods is like, ‘No thanks, I’ll walk.’”
Pete Davidson
Davidson, whose father died on 9/11, joked about himself and Hart being two of the high-profile comedians who attended the Riyadh Comedy Festival and received criticism for accepting a lucrative payment from an authoritarian government.
“I get lumped in a lot with Kevin because we both performed at the Riyadh Comedy Festival,” he said. “But the difference is Kevin went to Saudi Arabia for a day’s work, while I’ve been owed that money since I was 7.”
Draymond Green
Green, a basketball player for the Golden State Warriors, served Handler with his sharpest barb. “And no, I never have and never will smash Chelsea Handler,” he said. “I’m Draymond Green. I don’t hit threes.”
Big Jay Oakerson
Oakerson relayed a story of how Hart helped him by lending him $10,000 after Hurricane Sandy devastated his home.
“And then I was able to take the rest of that money and in true Kevin Hart fashion, immediately leave my first family,” he said.
Teyana Taylor
Taylor highlighted the critical acclaim she has experienced, which Hart has not.
“I would never say something so hateful like I starred in ‘One Battle After Another’ while Kevin’s career has been one bomb after another,” she said. “I mean, that would be so cruel. I would never do that, Kev. That’s Rotten Tomatoes’ job.”
Tony Hinchcliffe
Hinchcliffe, a comedian and podcaster, took aim at Hart’s failed vegan fast-food restaurant chain.
“Kevin has so few Black friends that he started a vegan fast-food restaurant and nobody stopped him,” he said.
Venus and Serena Williams
The Williams sisters presented Hart with a ring during the roast.
“Seriously, Kevin, we’ve got nothing but love for you,” Venus said before Serena interjected: “We love you so much, and as you know, in tennis, love means nothing.”
Regina Hall
Hall, an actress, claimed she had been able to communicate with Hart’s deceased mother, Nancy. Unfortunately, Hall said, his mother has seen none of Hart’s movies because they don’t have them in heaven.
The presence of Williams was notable and unexpected. “I’m surprised they invited me,” Williams said. “That’s how little star power you have. They had to start inviting your enemies. I said, ‘I hate him.’ They said, ‘Come anyway.’”
In the past, he has accused Hart of being an industry plant and taking movie roles meant for him.
“Before he saw my act, he was a 6-foot-3 white man,” Williams joked on Sunday.
The two decided to end their feud. “We’re too small to have the beef that we had,” Hart said. “So Katt, it’s over. The beef is over between me and Katt. And on a serious note, I love the fact that that man showed up tonight. He showed out.”
The Rock
The Rock, Hart’s longtime movie partner, came on as the last roaster. He flirted with Eniko Hart before turning his sights on Kevin, referring to him as his little “Oompa-Loompa.”
“I’m actually here tonight because someone needs to chew up Kevin’s food and spit it into his mouth,” he said, like a “baby bird.”
Kevin Hart
At the end of the night, Hart got his chance to roast the roasters. His revenge set included a response to Williams’ allegation that he had attended a party hosted by Sean Combs. “I saw him” there, Hart said of Williams. “He saw me. He said, ‘Shh.’”
Hart finished the night on a celebratory note.
“See guys, I’m just a little kid from Philadelphia and I prayed for nights like this,” Hart said. “What I want you guys to know is this, if I don’t celebrate myself then who else will? At the end of the day, I’m proud of myself.”
